Tag printing apparatus



Oct. 6, 1959 Filed Dec. 30, 1954 J. K. MAKI ETAL 2,907,275

TAG PRINTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l HOL ING (L0H.

wTYPE HEAD fir: 7/ INVENTOR.

'" ,JACOB K. MAKI I ALBERT E. ROCKWOOD.

[my 5958 82M or NTY.

Get. 6, 1959 J. K. MA'KI ETAL TAG PRINTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 50, 1954 INVENTOR. JACOB K. MAKI ALBERT E. ROCKWOOD.

United States Patent TAG PRINTING APPARATUS Jacob K. Maki, Westminster, and Albert E. Rockwood, Gardner, Mass., assiguors to Simplex Time Recorder 00., Gardner, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 30, 1954, Serial No. 478,564 1 Claim. (Cl. 101-413) This invention relates to apparatus for printing desired data on tags, labels, or other similar items.

' It is the general object of our invention to provide a tag printing mechanism in which such tags may be easily and quickly printed, and in whichapparatus changes in the data to be printed may be readily made.

To the attainment of this general object, we provide a printing mechanism which is in general of usual timestamp type but which is provided with interchangeable type heads. Each type head is preferably provided with removable and replaceable type, so that any desired data may be set up. We also provide a special construction for detachably securing the type head in printing position, and we make provision for varying the printing blow in accordance with the amount of data to be printed.

We also provide means for closing the printing circuit either manually or by tag insertion.

Our invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our improved printing apparatus and with the cover closed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the printing apparatus, with the cover open;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cover on an enlarged scale and partly in section, and with the type head omitted;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a paper guide mechanism shown in front elevation in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a handle and a portion of an associated guide-plate appearing in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side view of a type holder or head; and

Fig. 8 is a circuit diagram.

Our improved printing apparatus comprises a base 10 having a cover 11 hinged thereto at the point 12. The base 10 contains a stamping platen 14 operated by a solenoid and the general construction is similar to that shown in the prior patent to Ruttiman, No. 2,126,347 issued August 9, 1938.

Removable type (Fig. 7) is used, which type is selectively and manually inserted in a type head 20 which is detachably mounted in the cover 11. The details of the type and type head form no part of the present invention.

A cross-bar 22 is fixed in the cover 11, as by welding or otherwise securing the cross-bar to opposite sides of the cover. The bar 22 has a circular recess 24 formed therein, together with an associated axial opening 25. A face plate 26 is secured to the cross-bar 22 by screws 27, which screws also pass through guide-strips 28. The plate 26 has an opening 30 aligned with the recess 24 when the parts are assembled. A ring-shaped coil spring 32 is held snugly but with lateral clearance in the recess 24 by the plate 26.

The type head 20 (Fig. 7) has a stud 40 secured to its back face, and the stud 40 terminates in a ball 41. The hole 30 in the plate face 26 is large enough to freely admit the ball 41, but the inner diameter of the spring ring 32 is substantially less than the diameter of the ball 41.

When the type head 20 is to be inserted, the plates 44 (Fig. 4) on the cross-bar 22 act as end guides for the head 20, and the ball 41 is pushed through the spring ring 32. It is thereafter held in the position shown dotted in Fig. 4 by contraction of the spring ring 32. The type head is thus firmly held in printing position during the continued operation of the machine and the guide strips 28 accurately orient the type head.

For convenient removal of the type head 20, we provide a release lever 50 (Fig. 4) loosely pivoted on a screw 57 and having a stud 52 positioned to engage the ball 41. By pressing the lever 50 downward, the ball 41 is forced outward through the spring ring 32 and the type head 20 is released.

We have thus provided a convenient construction which permits the type head to be very readily mounted in the printing apparatus and to be as easily and quickly removed for replacement or substitution. Any number of interchangeable type heads may be provided.

In Figs. 5 and 6 we have shown an adjustable guiding device by which the tags or labels G may be conveniently and accurately located for printing. This guiding device comprises a guide-plate 60 having a U-shaped guide flange 61 formed on one edge thereof and having a guide-slot 62 provided along each side edge thereof.

A shouldered screw 63 in one slot 62 prevents upward displacement of one edge of the guide-plate 60, and a clamping nut 64 in the other slot 62 secures the plate 60 in adjusted position. A handle portion 66 has a lower extension 67 welded or otherwise secured to the under surface of the place 60. The extension 67 may coact with a groove or recess 68 in the upper surface of the base member 70 on which the plate 60 is slidably mounted.

The free edge of the guide flange 61 is downwardly extended asindicated at 72, so that it is definitely below the supporting surface of the platen 14.

An edge plate is provided to accurately locate one edge of the tag or label G, and this edge plate 80 has a U-shaped portion 81 to clear a trigger member 82 which may be connected to close the printing circuit when a tag G is pushed against it.

It is found desirable to adjust the force of the printing or stamping blow of the platen 14 in accordance with also be provided. The printing ribbon and reversing mechanism forms no part of the present invention.

The base 10 is of the usual type but has a recessed portion in one side to permit short or narrow tags to be conveniently inserted.

A push-plate 101 is provided at the front of the machine, and the printing platen 14 may be energized by closing a circuit by means of the push-plate 101, or by similarly closing the same circuit by the use of the trigger 82 (Fig. 5).

A handle 103 is associated with a latch 104 (Fig. 2) by Which the cover 11 is held in closed position.

Our improved tag printing machine has been found particularly well adapted to its intended purposes and specifically to the printing of relatively small lots of tags or labels requiring frequent changes indata set up.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what we claim is:

In a tag printing apparatus having a grooved supportingstructure, aguide-plate slidable'in saidgrooved structure and comprising a unitary sheet steel memberhavinga flat'body portion provided with a work-engaging front edge portion which is bent upwardly from said body portion and which is thereafter bent downwardly to providea return bend, said edge portion being of U-shaped cross section and having the work-engaging portion of its return-bent lower front edge extending substantially below the lower surface of said fiat body portion of said guide-plate and thereby interposing a complete and effective barrier for a tag abutting said U-shaped front edge portion and resting on said supporting structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Marden June 15, Maidhof Apr. 19, Schultz Jan. 14, Howard July 14, Lockwood Feb. 2, Turner Mar. 1, Gebhardt Mar. 28, Kiesling et al. Apr. 3, Florance Apr. 9, Lake June 4, Svenson Apr. 20, Clements Sept. 20, 

